Determining fetal sex in pregnancy with reference to pregnant women behavior in late pregnancy.

Introduction. Pregnant women often create their own image of a child. The ultrasound is able to model and modify this picture. The image of the unborn child develops along with the process of creating the space for the baby on the psychological and emotional level and is continued after the delivery. Aim. The authors of the study made an attempt to evaluate the influence of fetal sex determination during ultrasound in pregnancy on emotional and 'practical' experiencing late pregnancy - after the 28th week of its duration. Material and methods. The study included 200 pregnant women. Qualification criteria for the research was the declared awareness of fetal sex confirmed by ultrasound. Among others, factors influencing decision to determine fetal sex, emotional bond with the unborn child after identifying the sex, as well as preparation for birth regarding prognosticated sex were assessed. Results. Nearly all pregnant women wanted to find out the fetal sex, usually claiming that they did so out of curiosity. After they did it, about 2/3 of them stated that the emotional bond with the baby increased and the vast majority of women started preparing layettes for their future babies. Conclusions. Determination of fetal sex during ultrasound improves the relationship between the mother and her future baby. It also enables the woman to prepare for childbirth considering its sex by the purchase of clothes, pram and preparation of layette or baby's room [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]